


Constant

by epsilonfive



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: But mostly fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, M/M, Sex, basically it's ed and oz being super in love, idek what to put as tags omgggg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-20 03:41:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17614754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epsilonfive/pseuds/epsilonfive
Summary: Three parts of a whole. Two joined, the third adrift. Can love prevail?





	Constant

**Author's Note:**

> this is a canon divergent fic based off of the idea of ed and riddler being separate again in season 5 and the memory issues. it doesn't really address the cause and i changed my mind about something crucial which is why this is canon divergent instead of completely canon. s5 is so gooood. i wanted to get this out before 5x05 so i forced myself to finish it. as for the title, it's a reference to a theme in the show lost, where something or someone is a constant in time, which means no matter what they will always find a way to each other, and i think that described nygmobblepot and this fic well. enjoy! <3

There were many ways Oswald pictured himself dying; having a heart attack whilst in the bathroom was not on the list.

He’d just had himself a relaxing hot shower after a day of dealing with inane company and Edward throwing up on the carpet again when the very real, very human version had emerged. He’d come in so casually, as though he’d made a mistake of needing the bathroom and not knowing someone was already in it. He didn’t leave afterwards however, just shut the door behind him and surveyed Oswald with an odd expression.

Thankfully the timing worked out so that Oswald had a towel around his waist, but it wasn’t exactly the situation he’d wanted to be in when he saw Ed again.

“Finally come to kill me then, eh Ed?” He forced a smile and turned to face Ed who was seemingly unabashedly raking his eyes along Oswald’s body. “Stop looking for the best spot to do it and finish the job.”

Oswald crossed his arms in a vain attempt to feel better covered, but Ed didn’t stop what seemed to be a very thorough checking out, and made no move to pull a weapon or launch an attack. After what felt like forever, Ed finally spoke up.

“Idiot Ed has left the building,” He said in a sing song voice, and Oswald’s arms dropped a little in surprise. “You have the pleasure of being in the company of the better half.”

Oswald inclined his head slightly, eyes a little wide as he surveyed the man before him.

“What… when? How?”

‘Ed’ raised a hand casually.

“The whys, wheres, hows and whens don’t matter right now. What matters is us.”

“Us…” Oswald repeated, feeling a little bile at the word. “You have some nerve saying us like you haven’t betrayed me every step of the way.”

“ _I_ never betrayed you, Oswald,” Riddler said seriously, looking into Oswald’s eyes without a single glint of amusement. “Don’t you wonder why I call him Idiot Ed?”

“I’ve been through this enough times to know that trusting you only gets me hurt,” Oswald said after some time, fully expecting Riddler to poke fun of him, but the jeering never came. “Why should I do what I know will just end up breaking me in the end?”

Riddler’s face twitched, almost as though he was pained, and he pushed himself from the wall which he had been leaning against and moved closer to Oswald. Oswald’s mind was screaming at him to back away or to find something blunt to smack Riddler across the head with, but of course his body decided to stand stock still, to let Riddler come close enough that the tips of his shoes almost touched Oswald’s toes.

“Let me explain everything,” Riddler said carefully, raising a finger and slowly running it down Oswald’s shoulder, making him shiver. “Give me some of your time. If what you hear isn’t good enough, feel free to kill me, torture me, toss me out into the street. Whichever will satisfy your thirst for revenge.”

Oswald raised an eyebrow.

“A fair enough request for one who is about to die painfully,” Riddler grinned, making Oswald’s blood boil. “If you don’t mind, I would like to make myself more presentable. On the way out, talk to Penn who should have my clothes ready, then wait for me.”

Riddler tipped his hat, picked up Oswald’s hand and before Oswald knew what was happening, planted a kiss upon the top. Blushing furiously, Oswald snatched it back took a step away, earning the slightest of snickers from Riddler who obediently left. Now that Riddler was gone Oswald could relax, moving forward to grip the edge of the sides of the porcelain sink, head bowed as he tried to catch his breath.

He raised a hand and brought it down hard on the sink side, frustration burning holes into his insides. It wasn’t fair how now, after everything, Ed– The Riddler– both of them? However it worked, that he was still affected so strongly by him. His heart had raced when Riddler had ghosted a finger down his arm. His breath had caught when he felt Riddler’s lips pressed to his skin, something which even now he still fantasized sometimes. He dreamt about him, thought about him, missed him, craved him, hated him, loved him.

What was worse was the fact that neither Ed nor Riddler was affected even half as much, if at all. Oswald often found himself wondering if Ed ever cared for him at all. So many times it had seemed genuine, but the fact that Ed was constantly putting Oswald’s heart through hell kind of put a dampener on the whole thing.

He heard the door open and with relief, turned to it.

“Ah, Penn. If you could–”

It wasn’t Penn.

Riddler was standing there expectantly with an armful of clothes, not recognising that said clothes cost a fortune and this was a bathroom, still steamed from the heat of the shower.

“You need a better assistant,” Riddler said as he moved forward and placed the clothes on the wicker basket in the room; not an ideal location but better than one of the surfaces which was still wet.

“Clearly,” Oswald said coolly as he surveyed Riddler’s expression. “He should know not to give out my personal items to idiots.”

“Hello? Riddler here? Idiot Ed is gone,”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Oswald grumbled, and Riddler looked amused. “Well no matter now. Could you leave so I can get dressed?”

“Why would I leave?”

“B… because it’s… because I’m going to… Why is that even a question?!” Oswald sputtered, wishing he had his cane so he could poke Riddler out of the bathroom.

“Without me?”

Oswald just gaped at him for a few moments.

“Y… yes without you, you pervert! What, killing me wasn’t enough, you want to see me physically naked and vulnerable?”

“Yes,” Riddler said simply. “I’m much more interested in the former, however.”

“Ugh,” Perhaps Riddler was right after all, it seemed he had absolutely no shame whereas Ed had all of it. What was the most annoying however, was how he was still so attractive. Oswald briefly considered electroshock therapy, because there must be something wrong with him if he still thought that after this exchange. “So just so we’re clear… you want to see me… disrobed?”

“Yes,”

“And Ed?”

“Ed wants to see it, too. Among many other things he wants to do to you,” Riddler lifted a finger to his temple and rested the tip against it. “I know him better than anyone. I am him, as unfortunate as that may be. I know every little dark desire, every time he wished he could kiss you but didn’t, every time he thought about how pretty you would look in the heat of passion, every time he thought about that sweet little mouth around his– well. You get the idea.”

Oswald was just staring with wide eyes, his whole body feeling as though it was on fire. It took him a few moments before he found his voice again.

“…This could be a trick,”

“It could,” Riddler said with an thoughtful expression. “It could be an attempt to get close to you only to betray you again. But as I said before, I will let you do whatever you will with me if what I say isn’t to your liking. And also as I said before, I wasn’t the one who betrayed you. I know that Ed and I are better when we’re near you. …Happier. We function better. He’s not so stupid. He’s not so naive. We were almost at a peak when that woman got involved. We were so close… But I digress,”

He moved closer to Oswald, who was still staring at him and not knowing quite how to process it.

“What are you doing?” Oswald just about managed to whisper as Riddler came to stand in front of him again.

“Just looking. May I?” Riddler asked politely as he brought a hand to Oswald’s face, almost touching it. Oswald avoided Riddler’s gaze but his head jerked ever so slightly into a subtle nod.

Riddler curled his hand under Oswald’s chin and lifted his face, forcing his eyes to meet his own, and it didn’t take a genius to see that Riddler’s already dark eyes became almost obsidian with obvious lust as his pupils dilated.

“What?”

“Ed truly is a fool,” Riddler said, thumbing Oswald’s bottom lip. “You are so beautiful,”

“You don’t mean that,”

“Don’t I?” Riddler took Oswald’s hand with his own other and brought it up to place against his chest. “Feel my heart. Is it not beating faster?”

It was indeed at a faster pace than Oswald would’ve guessed Riddler to have. He shook his head, ashamed that he’d already been spellbound by the same man who had literally killed him not so long ago. He moved backwards, out of Riddler’s grip, who passively let him do so, making no move to take Oswald back into his hands.

“Go,” Oswald said, trying not to sound breathless. “I will join you when I’m dressed. Then you can… explain,”

Riddler tipped his hat again before leaving. Oswald went over to the door after it had closed behind him and locked it, hearing a small muffled snicker on the other side.

“Did you just lock the door?”

“Of course. I don’t trust you to not come in while I’m in the middle of dressing,”

“I’m wounded! Although I had every intention of accidentally coming in while you were in a state of complete undress it doesn’t mean you should assume so,”

“Just shut up and wait there,” Oswald said, and it was with no real anger behind it, in fact he found himself smiling. He scrubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands to try and get himself to snap out of it.

A few minutes later he was almost dressed and found himself surprised that Riddler hadn’t tried to break in while he was getting ready. He made one final check to his hair in the mirror; it was sticking up and would not stay flat no matter how much he tried to hold it. It hadn’t been styled so it was a little messy but… why should that matter? He was only seeing Riddler after all, and he had no other appointments until later that evening.

He unlocked the door and opened it, half amazed to see Riddler leaning with a leg up on the wall next to it.

“I didn’t think you’d still be here,” He said honestly, trying to ignore how Riddler was still paying very close attention to his appearance and seemingly enjoying it.

“Did you think I had just come to antagonize you? Or perhaps you thought I was a hallucination?”

“Yes, either of those,” Oswald said before straightening his suit jacket and making his way to the main living area, beckoning Riddler to follow. “Come,”

Riddler followed him and on the way they ran into Penn. Oswald and Penn had a very quick discussion and some threats were made before Penn handed Oswald’s cane over. They continued, but Riddler stopped once he saw Edward the dog snoozing in its bed.

“I didn’t consider you the dog loving type,” Riddler said, and Oswald stopped, turning and seeing that Riddler was a few paces behind him. “What’s its name?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Oswald said, turning before Riddler could see the reddening of his cheeks. “Come on. You’re wasting valuable talking time.”

At this, Riddler seemed to come to and walked towards Oswald with a few large strides with his very long legs. Oswald continued to where the black and white couches were and turned, seeing Riddler’s mouth open and raising a finger to silence him.

“I know they’re nice couches. I know they’re black and white. Now,” He sat on one of them and crossed his legs, cane at his side and still in his hand, ready to draw out the hidden blade if needed. “Explain.”

Riddler pressed his hands together and began to pace, taking a breath before he began.

“As you know, Ed and I are one and the same, but we’re also different. I’m the part of him he’s always wanted to be, I’m the genius, I’m the strategist. I’m the one who knows the answers, the one who could tell you what the solution to a riddle is in an instant. Ed is the idiot, driven by emotions, namely fear. He is a coward. He longs for you. Ever since he rescued you the first time, he has had feelings for you, and they only developed more over time. No one has shown him… us… as much care as you did. You sent biscuits and a sweater to me regardless of how I had treated you before. You wanted me out of Arkham, I could see it in your eyes, you just didn’t have the means to do so. You brought me a puzzle box which even though I could solve it in a matter of moments of course, was still meaningful. It was because it’s something I enjoy and appreciate. It wasn’t a thoughtless gift. You knew me. You _know_ me. Better than anyone. Do you still have that origami penguin I made for you, by the way?” Riddler said, stopping in his tracks and looking over to Oswald who was entranced by what Riddler was saying.

Oswald considered lying, but there was probably no point, not when Riddler was such a good reader of people.

“Yes,” He said, eyes flicking skyward then back down again. “It is on my bedside table. Sometimes I…”

“Yes?” Riddler prompted, looking interested.

“Sometimes I hold it when I am sick or injured or… sad. It takes away the pain some when I remember how you used to care for me,”

Riddler’s expression softened, and then he grinned.

“Good. I’m glad it still reassures you,”

“Continue,” Oswald said, before Riddler could dwell any more on the subject.

“Yes, well. When you broke me out of there, my feelings… became deeper. I was drawn to you, attached to you. When I was by your side during the campaign, it only became stronger. There were many times I wanted to approach you, but Ed held us back like the oaf he is. He was afraid. Afraid of judgement, afraid of loving another man. My father was… not a good man. He treated me terribly and when he found out about my feelings towards others of the same sex, well… let’s just say it didn’t go down too well. That kind of abuse has instilled a trauma in me, although Ed is the one who carries the burden. He’s the weaker side, the side that has been damaged, the side that holds me back. You didn’t know it because I never said, but the campaign… that was the happiest time of my life,”

Oswald looked up to Riddler with his mouth slightly open. A ‘me too’ died on his tongue. Riddler had paused in case Oswald wanted to speak, but after realising he wasn’t going to, continued.

“The night by the fire was the turning point. I had hope that Ed would surrender and allow me to make my move. He was sincere, then, when he said what he did. We were sincere. Generally I don’t much like people… touching me, but holding you was… Well. You know. I regretted leaving after that, but Ed realised then that he was in love with you. That I was in love with you,”

Oswald almost swallowed his own tongue and tried his best to show that such words didn’t affect him, but how could they not? Riddler was confessing his love to him, something Oswald had wanted since the beginning. He made a small choking sound, and Riddler’s hand twitched as though he was considering comforting Oswald, but decided against it. Privately Oswald thanked him; he wasn’t sure if he could keep up his composure if Riddler was sweet to him.

“It terrified him, and while that was weak of him, it was that very weakness which allowed me to push through somewhat. I don’t know if you were trying to tell me how you felt the afternoon after, but at the time… I was considering doing the same. Did you not see how uneasy I was? I, too, felt something that night. I think the both of us did, but then you said you had forgotten and I figured you would want to get on with your itinerary before anything else. I was still so happy regardless. You asked me for a meal and I was excited because there was an opportunity… and then…”

“And then…” Oswald repeated, remembering the feeling of having his heart ripped out when Ed proclaimed he was in love with someone else.

“ _She_ happened. And she… strengthened Ed once more. He felt a rekindling of his feelings for Miss Kringle, and the hope of a second chance. So he… He took control again, and I was pushed to the background,” Riddler stopped in his pacing as though he was deep in thought before going on. “She was a nice, safe alternative to you. She was a woman, and she was similar to Kringle in looks and in a few ways. But she understood him. She knew riddles, she was smart, she could match his wit. In those ways, she was similar to you. He clung to that, even though he only knew her for a short amount of time. You killed her, which thank you for, by the way, she was making us way too soft, and then… Ed went rogue. All the emotion overtook me and while he finally grew some backbone, it was for the wrong reasons. The first attempt on your life–”

Oswald made a sound and Riddler fell silent, looking at him as though he was expecting him to say something, but it was just a reaction.

“The first attempt on your life,” Riddler repeated as he went on. “Was rigged from the start.”

“ _What_?!” At this, Oswald couldn’t help but say something. “You really expect me to believe that you planned–”

“Yes,” Riddler said sincerely, looking right into Oswald’s eyes. “Did you not think it was strange that a man found you just in time? Did you really think your luck was that good?”

“I…” Oswald trailed off. Now that he thought about it, it was rather strange. But he wasn’t about to just believe that any part of Ed had been trying to save him.

“I sent him along to fetch you. Ed might have been in control, but it didn’t mean I was completely out of the picture. Later, Ed wanted to test you. He wanted to see if you truly loved him, which is why he got Barbara to threaten you for his location. When you refused, when you proved that you’d rather die than betray him, I was so happy. He was… torn. He was surprised. When he said he didn’t know what it meant when you were talking about passing the test, he was confused about his feelings. At the pier… he lied. Telling you he didn’t love you is the biggest lie I have ever told, and I _hate_ lying. It forced me to take control subconsciously, so much did I hate what he said. The second attempt was also rigged,”

Oswald didn’t make a sound this time, but he felt his heart leaping to his throat and he hated it, hated that all of this could easily be a plot, hated how he kept falling for Ed’s bullshit over and over and over again. He should really stop Riddler right here and kill him, else dump him out onto the street stripped of anything but the shirt on his back. But he didn’t. Something kept him glued to where he was sat.

“I was a forensics investigator for the GCPD. I know human bodies, I know pressure points, fatal points, how much blood will spill from what wounds. Do you really think I wouldn’t be able to fire a fatal shot at a human standing right in front of me? How could I miss at such a close range? The answer is easy. Because I wanted to. The gun itself was specially for close kills. The evidence is all there. Think about it Oswald. You have to know I’m not lying.”

Oswald said nothing, but stood up, and Riddler stared at him, eyebrows slightly raised in curiosity as Oswald moved towards him. He looked up into Riddler’s eyes with as blank an expression as he could muster. Before he could be asked what he was doing, he spoke first.

“Kiss me,” He said, and Riddler gave him a look which revealed that that was the last thing he had expected Oswald to say.

“Right now? You’re not even going to–”

“Right now. You told me you want to so bad, then do it. Kiss me, Riddler,” Oswald said defiantly as he boldly stepped even closer.

“But… this would be your first,” Riddler whispered, tongue darting out to wet his lips as his gaze turned hungry like a lion stalking an antelope.

“You don’t know that,” Oswald replied as his cheeks heated up again.

“Oh, I do,” Riddler sighed, and he reached up to place a hand at the side of Oswald’s face. “I know you’ve never even been kissed, not by anyone who isn’t your mother,”

“Well then, here’s your opportunity. Take my first kiss, Riddler. I give it to you,”

Riddler swallowed, and it was nice to see that Oswald was actually having an affect on him. A hand came to join the other on the opposite side of Oswald’s face.

“Are you sure about this?” Riddler said as he moved so close Oswald’s lips began tingling from the sheer lack of space between his own and Riddler’s.

“Yes,” Oswald said, his own hand moving to rest gently on top of one of Riddler’s own. “Do it.”

The gap closed. Riddler’s lips pressed to Oswald’s, and it was everything Oswald had ever heard it to be. His nerves went haywire, his heart felt like it was going to burst through his chest and his brain was losing all rational thought. Riddler kissed him chastely, thumbs ever so slightly stroking skin back and forth, and Oswald was unable to stop himself letting out a dreamy hum against Riddler’s mouth.

He could feel Riddler smirking, and in annoyance, reached up and removed his hat before throwing it to the side and pressed into Riddler further. He was inexperienced at kissing so letting Riddler take the lead was probably better than Oswald attempting to already, but he was frustrated.

Riddler took this as a sign that he was allowed to give into his desires a little bit, and his hands dropped to Oswald’s waist before circling it and holding him by the small of his back, pulling him in and almost lifting Oswald off his feet. A warm tongue pressed to the seam of Oswald’s lips and he opened them in pleasant surprise before it plunged inward, licking along Oswald’s own and the roof of his mouth. Riddler tasted faintly of ginger and honey, and in the back of Oswald’s dopamine addled mind, he wondered if Riddler had begun to drink the tea religiously after Oswald had introduced him to it. The thought made Oswald’s heart leap. Riddler sucked on Oswald’s lower lip and the latter was pretty sure he’d never felt anything physically so wonderful. A small moan forced its way through Oswald’s throat and Riddler responded with a grunt of his own.

The hands at Oswald’s back started to slide lower when suddenly they stopped, and not because Riddler had changed his mind, but because the tip of something sharp was pressed against his neck. Immediately he let go, backing off with a small smacking sound as their lips were prized apart. Oswald was staring at him, his eyes a storm, wide and full of warning, and Riddler was right to look a little uneasy. He raised his hands in surrender.

“Did you really think you could just waltz back into my life like you hadn’t betrayed me, like you hadn’t destroyed me, like you hadn’t _killed me_ and I would just… forgive you?! Just because you explained?”

“That was the plan–”

“Shut. _Up_. Before I slit your throat right now. I know it’s difficult for you but I also know that your sense of self preservation is stronger than your unbelievably annoying inability to stop talking,” Riddler obeyed, shutting his mouth although it looked like it was with great effort. He clearly wanted to say something. “Good. Now. I have decided that since you felt the need to test me, I owe you the same favour,”

“I told you, I’m not–”

“You’re not Ed, yes, yes, I’ve heard it. Only a complete imbecile would fall for that as an excuse for actions. At least… without proof,”

Riddler cocked his head slightly, and Oswald tried to ignore how sweet he looked when he was questioning something.

“I have two tests for you. One is of wits; Ed can’t answer riddles to save his life, Riddler can. The second is of loyalty. If you prove to me you’re Riddler and Ed is lying dormant, then… Then we can discuss terms and what is to be done. Understand?” Riddler nodded. “Good.”

“…May I say something before we begin?”

“Yes,”

“You didn’t let me explain about Lee. Or let me tell you about what happened after I thought you had died–”

“I don’t need to hear it,” Oswald said curtly, removing the knife from under Riddler’s jaw but showing that he still had it ready in his hand. “You’ll tell me the same thing you told me about Isabelle, but slot Doctor Leslie’s name in her place. As for what happened while I was “dead”… it doesn’t sound like something I would be interested in now,”

“I understand,” Riddler said, but after looking at Oswald’s slowly spreading smirk, he looked worried again. “What is it?”

“You didn’t correct me,”

“On what?”

“Isabella’s name. I said _Isabelle_. Everyone would get it wrong because she was irrelevant and you would always correct them. But this time it’s like you didn’t even care. I knew it. I knew she was a passing fancy, she was a temporary thing, she was someone you convinced yourself you were in love with,”

“I told you. That was Ed. _I_ don’t care in the slightest what you did to her,”

“That is definitely interesting,” Oswald said with a raise of his eyebrows. “You may be able to convince me you are Riddler yet. Now. The first riddle. The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?”

“Oh come on, Oswald,” Riddler said with a toothy grin. “Give me a challenge. Footsteps,”

“Correct,” Oswald said, fiddling with the blade between his hands. “The next; what still works even when it’s broken?”

“A heart,” Riddler said softly, and Oswald could see something cross his eyes. A flash of regret maybe? Riddler looked at Oswald as though he was going to say something, lips parted, then changed his mind, closed his mouth, and opened it again. “What’s next?”

“Yes, a heart. And now, the most difficult one of all. You’re on a boat full of people. It has not sunk, but there is not a single person on board. Why?” Riddler actually had to think about that one, head dipping as he brought a hand to his mouth in contemplation. Oswald gave him a few seconds before speaking. “Give up?”

“No. Never. Not on this,” Riddler said defiantly, and Oswald was taken aback for a moment. After some time, Riddler grinned again, but didn’t say anything. Oswald looked at Riddler expectantly, then grew impatient within the next five seconds.

“What? Do you have an answer or not?”

Riddler still said nothing.

“Tell me! Did you get it right?! Your life hinges on it!”

“And you want to know,”

“What?”

“You love the answer almost as much as I do. You’re desperate to know if I got the answer right,”

“Because I don’t want to get my knife bloody. I just cleaned it,”

Riddler snickered, and his hand twitched as though to touch Oswald’s face again, but it seemed he was smart enough not to push it.

“Very well. There’s not a single person on the boat because they’re all married,” Riddler paused for effect, and Oswald did indeed look surprised. “Did I pass?”

“Yes, yes. You passed. And now the loyalty. On your knees,”

Riddler raised an eyebrow.

“You should’ve asked earlier, I would’ve been happy to oblige,”

“ _Not for that_ ,” Oswald said, trying not to get too embarrassed as he felt the blush creeping up his neck. “Just do it, will you?”

Riddler inclined his head and did as he was told, sinking to his knees before sitting back on his haunches, hands on the tops of his thighs as he looked up at Oswald patiently. It was a very nice sight, Oswald had to admit.

“Now,” He began, taking the knife and holding the tip between his thumb and forefingers. He rotated it slowly, allowing the light to glint off of the blade. “I am going to slowly push this through your shoulder. It won’t be dangerous, a clean straight slice through the shoulder should go right through. I want you to be silent, understand? Not a sound, no matter how painful,”

Riddler’s playful expression vanished, and he swallowed.

“That sounds awfully difficult,”

“Yes. That’s why they call it a test,”

“Will I get it patched up afterwards?”

“It depends how well you do. You told me you were willing to die if I didn’t believe you after you explained yourself. Stand behind your words,”

“…Okay,”

“Okay? Remember, not a sound,” Oswald said as he placed one hand on Riddler’s shoulder, the other holding the tip of the knife steady at the opposite side. “Barely a breath,”

“I understand,” Riddler murmured, looking up at Oswald with darkened eyes, the determination obvious within them. “Your move, my love,”

The name snapped a cord in Oswald and he plunged the knife into Riddler’s shoulder, breathing picking up as he watched Riddler’s whole face contort with pain. Yet he didn’t make a sound. His breathing was understandably a little harsher, yet still steady considering the circumstances. Oswald was almost frustrated that Riddler had actually managed to keep quiet, something he was not so good at on a normal day, let alone with a knife through his flesh.

But that had been the easy part. Now came the withdrawal, and Oswald would twist a little as he did so, just a quirk of his, a signature. Surely Ed would lose it at the searing pain and Oswald would have the excuse to have him thrown out. He began to pull the blade slowly from ‘Riddler’s’ shoulder, and the latter winced, eyebrows knitted together in what appeared to be agony, internal screaming clear as day by his face. When Oswald twisted the knife, he was sure then Riddler would break.

But he did not.

All that could be heard was his panting, the wet sounds of something sharp pushing through the fibers of flesh and Oswald’s ragged breaths.

Eventually, the knife was completely out of Riddler’s shoulder, and now the blood began to seep out and trail, mixing green with deep crimson. Oswald just looked at Riddler, expression wide and amazed, similar to how he had looked at him that night in front of the fire.

Riddler’s forehead was dotted with drops of sweat from the effort of keeping quiet, and he was going rather pale. Oswald came to and shook his head.

“You may relax. Riddler.” Oswald said finally, the name spoken with an admittance of its truthfulness behind it.

Riddler sank down, letting out small whimpers, but still managing not to scream as blood began to stain the floor. His head dropped for a moment before he raised it to look up at Oswald again, a pained smirk on his face.

“I passed?”

“You passed. Ed would have screamed and then taken the knife from me. Or pulled a gun he had hidden,”

“Like this one, for instance?” Riddler said, reaching behind and pulling a gun from his waistband, much like the one he’d used to shoot Oswald at the pier. It might even be the same one.

Oswald stared at it, flabbergasted.

“You had that the whole time?” He whispered, almost in shock. “You could have used that at any time when things went south, when I had the knife on you, when I was testing you. And you didn’t?”

“Of course not. I don’t want to hurt you, Oswald. I want to help you. I want to be beside you. That’s what I’ve been trying to say. And now that–” He began, about to get to his feet but struggling, and Oswald moved forward to help him. “Thank you. Now that I’ve proven myself, will you let me?”

“Yes. I think so,” Oswald said, pulling Riddler’s good arm around his shoulders and pressing a hand to his front, teetering a little from Riddler’s weight and his bad leg, but finding his balance. He took the gun from Riddler’s hand and placed it on a nearby couch.

“Can you… Will you be alright?” Riddler said, concerned, turning his head to face Oswald slowly as though it was painful.

“I will be fine,” Oswald replied, gingerly beginning to turn to face the medical bay. “We just need to go over there. I can make it.”

While not a very far distance, it still took a lot of effort and time for them to get to the room. Neither said anything, but Oswald pressed himself into Riddler moreso than was necessary, and Riddler’s fingers gripped at the shoulder of Oswald’s suit jacket. Oswald was thinking of what he might say, but it was too hard to when his heart was pounding in his ears and all he could think about was the man next to him, his feelings which he’d tried so hard to keep hidden beginning to overtake him. He felt… warm. He felt happy. The only times he ever felt truly happy was when he had his mother, and then when he had Ed. Anything else was a passing fancy, and it wouldn’t be long before he would be thinking about his best and only true friend.

He was almost too lost in thought to notice when they’d reached the door to the medical bay, and Riddler had to lamely push the door which caused him to let out a small sound of pain. They entered and Oswald moved Riddler to the bed and sat him on it. Riddler swayed, but managed to stay upright. Oswald’s leg was hurting him, but it was a small price to pay for the endorphines and excitement running rampant through him.

“I have a doctor on hand, but…”

“But you don’t want him to do it,” Riddler managed to slur, swallowing as though he was trying to stop himself from being sick. “Not been here long?”

“No, not long enough to earn enough of my trust to operate on my dear Riddler,” Riddler smiled then, and it was genuine, not a smirk, and Oswald felt his heart flutter. “I can do it. If you instruct me,”

Riddler nodded, and Oswald was surprised again just how much trust Riddler was putting in him. The kind of trust Oswald himself put into Riddler. The kind of trust which usually comes hand in hand with love.

Oswald fetched the instruments needed whilst Riddler quietly told him what he would need. He set to work on patching him up, keeping him awake with a riddle or two he’d learned in preparation for the first test. Oswald was sure he hadn’t stitched Riddler as well as the latter would have done himself; it was lopsided and haphazard, but Riddler was content with it, telling him it would do. Afterwards, Oswald shyly planted a kiss to the wound then recoiled, feeling blood on his lips and hastily licking it off. Riddler laughed affectionately before looking up with warm, chocolate eyes. Oswald looked into them for a while, smiled in a way which could only be described as birdlike, then moved to bring over some bandages.

“Should have put these on first,” He mumbled and Riddler laughed again, and Oswald almost closed his eyes to listen to it like it was sweet music. It was a rarity to hear him laugh in such a genuine way, and he found himself wanting to hear much more of it. He wrapped Riddler’s arm tenderly, apologising every time Riddler winced or made a sound of pain as he had when he’d disinfected the wound.

“Thank you,” Riddler said eventually, moving his head to meet Oswald’s gaze which was lowered.

“Think nothing of it. I caused it in the first place,” Oswald said as he turned and headed for the medicine cabinet. He rooted around inside and pulled out a nondescript bottle of pills. “A cocktail of caffeine, opiates and paracetamol. Should rid you of the pain almost completely,”

“Opiates…” Riddler repeated as Oswald handed him the bottle. “I saw you. After I thought you died, I mean. I took… hallucinogens. At first I don’t know what for, but then I saw… you. And then I knew why. And I kept taking them. Every time you would begin to fade, I would take another. I missed you so much. Ed hated to admit it, but he was torn apart. I came into full being because he couldn’t stand being himself and the guilt that came with it. I could have told him that I’d rigged your ‘death’ but… then I wouldn’t have been able to emerge,”

“What about the times you told me you didn’t love me? The times you berated me? The times you told me I was a spoiled impetulant brat? The times you told me you could never love a person like me?”

“That… I am ashamed of. I can’t fully blame Ed for that. In some part he had a hand, but I….” Riddler looked at the bottle of pills, the shame he mentioned clear on his face. “I… we… saw some of ourselves in you. I’m intelligent, handsome, charismatic, charming–”

“You can stop any time,” Oswald said with a withering look that even though Riddler couldn’t see it, he could feel.

“But I have flaws. When I don’t get my way, I sulk and throw tantrums. I’m insanely jealous, in fact I almost killed Jim Gordon because of my worry that he might get closer to Lee. In that, I was a hypocrite. And I know that if you found another man I would… I don’t know. Kill him, probably,” Riddler let out a harsh laugh, and Oswald tilted his head with his eyes still on him. “Seeing you stoop to my level made me lash out at you. I hate those parts of me,”

Oswald didn’t say anything, mostly because he wasn’t sure what to say. After some few seconds of aching silence and Riddler somehow dry swallowing a couple of pills to a wince from Oswald, Riddler spoke again.

“Why did you ask me to kiss you?”

“To distract you, obviously,” Oswald said with a sniff, trying his best to seem unaffected by the question. “I needed to get close enough to you to have the knife to you,”

“I see. And there was no other way to do that?”

“No,”

“Well, I suppose I’m glad about that. Kissing you was… It was better than what I had fantasized about. Speaking of fantasize, something else that happened while I was hallucinating was you singing a sultry song and being incredibly sexy while doing so,”

“Sexy? Me?”

“Yes. You. Even Ed couldn’t come up with a reasonable excuse to why he’d seen that. It clearly meant that he thought of you as sexually attractive,”

“Are you really always this perverted or is it just when it comes to me?”

“Only with you, darling. Everything you do makes me want you,”

“What about running you through with the knife?”

“I deserved it,”

“Masochist,”

“Sadist,”

The pair giggled quietly, the atmosphere similar to when Ed had first come to work with Oswald as his chief of staff.

“How are you feeling?” Oswald said, once the laughter had subsided.

“Better. The pain is much less. The opiates aren’t making me hallucinate so that’s something. It’s starting to affect my ability to stay upright, though,” Riddler made to lie down on the medical bay’s bed, but Oswald took his arm to stop him.

“No, not here. Come and rest in my bed. It is much more comfortable,” Riddler opened his mouth with a look on his face which suggested he was going to say something unsavoury, but Oswald cut him off. “ _To rest_ , and nothing else.”

Riddler made a dramatic sound of dismay and Oswald sighed affectionately. It seemed Riddler was stable enough to at least hobble on his own, so the two walked oddly, Oswald from his chronic leg problem an Riddler from his stoned state. They moved slowly towards a spiral staircase, Oswald leading the way and Riddler following behind. As they began the trek upwards, Oswald had to take care on how he placed his weight, his leg beginning to ache more now that he was coming down a little from his high.

Once they’d reached the top of the stairs, Oswald was panting a little from the effort, his other knee starting to ache from all the weight and strain he was putting on it in favour of his pained leg. Riddler had made no complaints at the slow journey upwards which Oswald was grateful for.

“I would help you, or carry you, but I would probably drop you and break both our necks,”

“Yes. I quite like being alive,”

“I noticed,” Riddler said teasingly, and Oswald half rolled his eyes, half smirked. They inched down the hall until they reached a sturdy mahogany door which Oswald opened out into a lavish room. It was beautifully decorated and the bed in the center was pristine and absolutely huge, definitely a king size. Riddler looked around in a bit of a daze, observing the decor as Oswald moved towards the bed and pulled back the covers.

“Come here and lie down. No, wait–” Oswald said quickly, cutting himself off and limping towards Riddler again. “Undress first,”

He promptly ignored the smug expression he knew was on Riddler’s face before gently pulling off his suit jacket and placing it over a nearby chair. He returned to face Riddler and undid his tie. He noticed Riddler’s adam’s apple bob, as though he was swallowing hard again. Oswald couldn’t help the small smirk pull at his lips as he began to unbutton Riddler’s shirt. He wondered just how much he was teasing Riddler at this point, until there was the very slightest of whimpers, and he didn’t have to wonder any more. He pushed the shirt off of Riddler’s shoulders, careful of his patched wound, and laid it and the tie on top of the jacket.

“Now the pants,” Riddler said, his voice dropped a couple of octaves with lust. “If you wouldn’t mind,”

“You can rest with those on,” Oswald said, but his voice was a little shaky, and he was leaning into Riddler a little too closely.

“I’m not sure I can,” Riddler began, kicking off his shoes before taking one of Oswald’s hands and trailing it down his vested chest to stop at his waistband. He hooked Oswald’s fingers to it then let go. Oswald did not. “If you please,”

Oswald complied, moving to undo Riddler’s belt slowly, and he could feel Riddler’s belly deflating with a long, slow breath it appeared he had been holding in. Once it was open, he latched his thumbs into the waistband again at Riddler’s sides and slowly pulled, sliding down the material and crouching along with it, keeping eye contact with brown eyes which stared at him, blackened by either the drugs or by arousal, it was hard to tell at this point.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Oswald said, repeating Riddler’s earlier words and the latter smirked, stepping out of his pants as Oswald folded them neatly atop the other clothes. It was strangely very cute and for some reason made Riddler’s chest ache. Oswald looked to him again and cocked his head as though to ask what was wrong, but Riddler waved him off and moved to the bed. Sitting down upon it, he felt its soft yet firmness, the sheets the best material money could buy. His gaze turned to Oswald’s nightstand. Upon it were a few loose items, a clock, and the origami penguin. It looked to be in good condition, a few scuffs but that was to be expected.

He reached out and touched the beak of the paper bird. It wobbled slightly before gaining ground. Riddler looked to Oswald and smiled, almost sadly.

“You really do still have it,”

“Of course,”

“You need a new one,”

“I like that one,”

“Still. Let me make you another,”

“Okay. But first you have to rest, understand?” Oswald said lightly yet firmly as Riddler moved to get under the covers. Oswald was about to pull them over him before Riddler put a hand on his arm to stop him.

“Get in with me,”

“What?”

“Get in with me. I want to hold you. If that’s okay,” Oswald looked a bit surprised, and Riddler took it the wrong way. A flash of hurt crossed his face. For all his talk about Ed being the emotional one, he was certainly showing a lot of it. “Of course I understand if you don’t want to,”

“No, I do,” Oswald said eventually, and he began to take off his shoes, his suit jacket and waistcoat as well as his tie and place them to the side. He was a bit reluctant to take off any more, even though Riddler had seem him in only a towel. Now though, his leg would be noticeable, and he was a little bit bumpy in the wrong places, and he had too many freckles, and–

“Are you going to keep that very expensive shirt on? What if I drool on you?” Oswald shuffled from foot to foot, and Riddler gave him a reassuring expression. “Oswald. You’re beautiful. All of you. Any idiot with eyes can see that,”

Oswald blushed, nodding and taking off his shirt to reveal the top of the long underwear that lay beneath his other clothes. Riddler watched him, and Oswald had half a mind to reach over and give him a cuff around the head.

“Stop watching me like I’m stripping or something,”

“You’re not?”

Oswald threw him a look with death behind it before undoing his belt. Riddler licked his lips, and Oswald did his best to try and ignore him. He stepped out of his pants then slowly clambered onto the bed. Riddler looked like he wanted to make a comment, but Oswald had a somewhat murderous air about him so the former refrained. Oswald got down into the covers and settled there, small and shivering as the bed took time to heat up.

“You can… come closer, you know,” Riddler said with raised eyebrows.

“I know, it’s just that… well I mean, I haven’t… I only… I have only ever been in a bed alone. Only slept alone. So this is… strange,”

“In a good way?”

“I don’t know. Come here and hold me and then I might be able to tell you,”

Riddler looked pleasantly surprised at the request before obliging, shuffling over so that the two of them were in the middle of the bed and leaning in. He gingerly pushed his injured arm up through the pillows and draped the other around Oswald’s waist, loose and lax, in case the latter changed his mind. Oswald let out a small breath before reciprocating, tucking his arm under Riddler’s own to place around his waist.

It still fit. They still slotted into one another like they were two halves of a whole.

“You’ve still got your glasses on,” Oswald whispered, his voice automatically becoming quiet for a reason he didn’t know. “Don’t you take them off when you sleep?”

“I do but… I can’t sleep. If I do, Ed will take control. So I must stay awake. Keep me awake, Oswald,”

“I think you do a good enough job of that yourself,” Oswald muttered and Riddler smiled. “What do you suggest we discuss? The weather? The fact I stabbed you? Or perhaps the fact that we’re utterly obsessed with another and it is going to kill us one day?”

“Those are perfectly good conversation topics,” Riddler said with a small nod, and then he leaned in and kissed Oswald again. “Or there’s that,”

“Yes. There is that,” Oswald said, cautiously moving so that were a little closer together. “You should do it again, you need to be kept awake for a long time after all,”

Riddler looked as though he’d never been more pleased to do something before pressing his lips to Oswald’s and in a matter of moments Oswald was squirming as Riddler kissed him and stroked his side. Boldly, Oswald let his arm drop slowly and took a handful of Riddler’s behind, although there was not that much to take. There was a small sound of surprise and it jerked at Oswald’s stomach, in a good way. They pulled apart, and Oswald smiled slightly shyly.

“I didn’t expect that. And it’s definitely not unwelcome,” He said as his own arm tipped to graze Oswald’s belly. “And it gives me the impression that you’re open to suggestions,”

“Such as?” Oswald just about managed to say. Riddler’s hand slid lower until it was cupping his crotch. Oswald squeaked. “Oh,”

“Yes. If you’ll permit me. I feel like I owe you something after everything,”

“You’re still high,”

“No. Well, yes. But only a bit. I’ve come down, sobered up a little. May I?” He continued, fiddling with the buttons at the bottom of Oswald’s underwear.

“You don’t have to,”

“What an odd thing to say,” Riddler said, amused as he somehow undid a few buttons with one hand. “I know I don’t have to, I want to. No one has ever touched you here, yes?”

“No,” Oswald gasped as Riddler reached in with a surprisingly warm hand and took a hold of Oswald’s cock. It twitched at the touch and already began to harden. “Oh my God,”

“I haven’t even started yet,” Riddler murmured, leaning in to nibble at Oswald’s ear lobe. “Do you want it? Want me to keep going?”

Oswald tried to say something but his ability to speak was hindered. He decided on a nod and a squeeze of Riddler’s arm with a hand he’d brought up to rest on it. He pulled it slightly and Riddler got the hint.

“Alright,” He said quietly, withdrawing his hand to lick it, making a bit of a show. It probably should be a vulgar action, but it only served to turn Oswald on even more. Riddler’s hand disappeared beneath the covers again and Oswald was mentally trying to prepare himself for the touch, but it didn’t stop the electricity as Riddler took hold of him again and this time began to stroke slowly.

Oswald whined, moving his hips slightly and spreading his legs to give Riddler better access. It wasn’t as though he’d never touched himself before, but when Riddler did it it was different. So much more intense. He already felt the stirring in his stomach that he identified with the beginning of the end.

“Sl… slow… slow down,” He managed, fingers digging into Riddler’s arm. “I’m going… going to… already, and…”

“I’m going as slow as I can darling,” Riddler said soothingly, nosing at Oswald’s neck. “It’s okay. It’s natural for it to be soon the first time. Relax,”

Oswald wanted to, but at the same time he felt embarrassed that Riddler could so easily bring him to the brink of pleasure in such a short amount of time. He tensed up a little and bit his lip, holding himself back as much as he could.

“No,” Riddler growled, speeding up and swiping a thumb over the slit of Oswald’s cock which caused him to gasp loudly at the suddenness. “Let me hear you,”

Oswald stubbornly tried to hold back his moans, but Riddler was relentless, squeezes and strokes and swipes and occasionally the slightest hint of nails forcing out a groan which was much too loud for Oswald’s liking. Before long there was a symphony of sounds pouring out of his mouth, and Riddler just kept on licking and kissing Oswald’s neck, keeping a steady pace with his hand. Oswald forgot where he was and what was happening when he felt the coil in his stomach become so tight there was no choice but to release it and his eyes shot open as the first wave crashed over him.

His fingers scrabbled at Riddler’s arm and his head dipped back as something close to a scream tore its way through his throat, warm pleasure radiating through his whole body as his fingers and toes tingled and set alight from the intensity. After what felt like forever he came down, eyes which he hadn’t even realised were squeezed tightly shut opening slowly, the blurry room gradually coming into focus. He was panting as though he’d just run a mile, and his ears took a few moments to pick up sounds that were other than his breathing.

Other senses started to return, the ache in his fingers from gripping Riddler’s arm so hard, the feeling of Riddler’s mouth set in a grin at his throat, the ache in his leg numb, but starting to pulse lightly. Riddler withdrew his hand and moved back, pulling it up to look at it. It was wet with Oswald’s release, and Oswald covered half of his face with a hand.

“Oh that’s vulgar. Let me get you a cloth,”

“Vulgar? That’s nothing. Watch this,” He began to clean his hand with his own tongue and Oswald felt his already hot face burn up.

“Why would you do that?!”

“It’s you. And it doesn’t taste half bad. Why get up when I can just clean it myself? Thankfully most of it is on me,” He lifted the covers to check and Oswald shivered at the cool air. “Yes. We’re spared from having to wash covers and clothes.” He let the covers fall again and, once his hand was clean, reached down and tucked Oswald back in tenderly, doing up a button or two before Oswald smacked his hand away.

“That will do,” He chewed his lip as Riddler moved so close to Oswald their fronts were touching and put his arm around him again. “Do you think anyone heard us?”

“You, you mean? Heard you?”

“Yes, yes. Me. Do you think–”

“Oh yes. I think the whole building heard you, love,”

Oswald groaned and dipped his head into his hand still loosely over his face.

“How am I going to explain it?”

“I’m sure they won’t mention it and if they do, just say you were self relieving,”

“Thank you, yes, that’s much less embarrassing,” Oswald snapped and Riddler chuckled, somehow picking up on the sarcasm.

“More embarrassing than getting pleasured by me?”

“…Fair point,” Oswald couldn’t stop a smile spreading across his face and he entangled himself with Riddler until he felt something against his bad leg and he jerked reflexively. “Sorry. I don’t like… it,”

“I know,” Riddler said softly, carefully moving so that they relaxed again and their legs were slotted together. “Does it feel okay?”

“Yes, it’s fine,” Oswald said sleepily, yawning. He closed his eyes. Riddler shook him gently.

“No, don’t fall asleep. I don’t want to leave you while you’re sleeping. I’m not sure how much time I have left in control,”

“It’s okay. Just come back to me,” Oswald forced his eyes open. “Please come back to me.”

“I will. I was already planning to, even if you kicked me to the streets,”

“Yes. I figured that,” He closed his eyes again. “I love you,”

“I love you, too.” Riddler replied, and Oswald felt like he could cry from the sheer relief of hearing those words. The words he’d longed to hear since the beginning, and throughout everything that had happened, even though Ed had hurt Oswald more than anyone ever had in his life.

The last thing he remembered was a soft kiss planted to his forehead.

* * *

 

When Oswald woke, it was to the chirping of birds. He looked blearily to the clock to see that it was barely six am. He had rolled over to the side in his sleep and turned back around to find the other side empty. He wasn’t surprised, but disappointed, even though he had accepted it. He sighed and looked to his bedside table, feeling a strange urge to hold the paper penguin, when he saw another next to it. This one was much smaller, and looked brand new. Oswald smiled.

He assumed the smaller one was supposed to be him, and the taller was to be Riddler. The urge to hold the original left him, and he just looked at the origami, letting his mind and heart wander. What if what Riddler was saying were true? What if he could find a way to merge him and Ed, and Oswald and Ed could be together like it was meant to be? It could be like Oswald imagined it to be if he hadn’t done what he had with Isabella, if Ed had never met her, if he’d come back to the manor and sat down to dinner and poured wine and Oswald had confessed and Ed miraculously felt the same way. He mentally kicked himself; he was doing that one thing he knew he never should. Hope. Dream. Think that maybe he could be with someone he loved and be happy. The likelihood of that was low and deep down he knew it, but his heart was soft. It was weak. And there was nothing he could do about it.

He lay on his back and dug the heels of his hands into his eyes. He wished Riddler were still here so he could inflict some sort of pain on him to make him regret what he’d done to Oswald, but he also wanted to kiss again. He wanted to do what they had earlier again, except for him to be the one making Riddler feel good. He turned to the side and dipped his head slightly and could smell Riddler’s scent still on the pillow. It smelled just like Ed has whenever Oswald had gotten close to him, and it was comforting, despite the person who owned it causing so much misery. He buried his face into it and hugged it, feeling relaxation wash over him. He missed Riddler already.

A knock to the door and he knew it was Penn. He felt his ears grow hot as he remembered how loud he had been last night, and had to force himself to speak as he sat up.

“Enter,”

“Sir,” Penn said with a small bow. “I have your itinerary for the day ready for your observation,”

“Thank you. That will be all,”

“And,” Penn continued, and he hesitated. “If you require more sleep, I will alert the staff,”

“I am fine,” Oswald said, as assertively as he could with reddening cheeks. “I will be down shortly,”

Penn nodded and left, closing the door behind him. Oswald collapsed into the pillows and placed his hands over his eyes, groaning softly and making a note that if something like the previous evening happened again, he would remain quiet. He had just gotten out of bed when he heard a scratching at the door, and, smiling, made his way to it to open it.

Edward the dog was sitting outside with a wistful look on its face, a small whine rising up from its nose.

“What is it, Ed? Are you hungry?” Edward padded inside and sat at the end of Oswald’s bed, as though contemplating jumping on top of it. “I don’t think you can reach that darling,” Oswald said affectionately, moving over to the wardrobe to begin dressing for the day. He picked out a mostly black suit as always, but this time added a small red kerchief to the pocket and for the tie he chose one which was black silk with somewhat inconspicuous queries patterned on it. Once he had finished giving his hair a quick brush and applying some eyeliner and light purple eye shadow which took probably the most part of his morning routine, he limped towards the door again, patting his leg as he went to beckon Edward.

There wasn’t really any dog food readily available, so Oswald found some of the meat which was set to be his dinner and tore off some in Edward’s silver dish.

“I wish there were more,” Oswald said with a sigh as Edward gratefully began to start on the food. “I wish I could give you proper dog food, but alas. Times are difficult,”

Immediately after speaking he spied a plate completely full of delicious looking food and smirked, knowing it was for him and no one else. A thought came to him then, one which didn’t please him as he knew it would result in more rations being cut and taken away from people. So much as he enjoyed being in power, there was only so much his people would take. He needed to provide Riddler with something good to eat when he came back. If he ever came back. Shrugging, he decided on sharing his own food.

After breakfast and some rather awkward interactions with his people who seemed to all know exactly what had happened the previous night like it was some kind of well known gossip, he set to work on his tasks. It was a rather slow day, and he found himself constantly checking the time for Riddler’s appearance. The longer it took, the more Oswald found himself chiding himself for thinking that things this time would be different. Riddler was probably just taking longer than expected in devising his plan to bring Oswald down.

He became increasingly angry and snapped at anyone who spoke to him, almost pulled out his cane knife on someone who had the audacity to simply report to him that there were no attacks planned that they could see and clawed at his chair armrests so violently they were now permanently damaged. When the dark came, he’d given up. He considered an early night when Penn decided to interrupt him and his thoughts.

“Unless you’re here to tell me that I’m about to be assassinated in the next ten seconds I do not want to hear it,”

“It’s just that--”

“Penn,”

“Well, there’s someone here for you. He looks, ah. Rather unkempt,”

“Then send him away. It is probably someone complaining to me about how I run this place, not that I could any better,”

“But sir, you don’t understand! It’s the gentleman who was here yesterday,”

Oswald shot out of his seat so fast it caused a twinge in his leg, and he held back a wince. He cleared his throat, straightened his suit, and tried to look as calm as he could.

“Well, it is a good thing you could actually warn me this time, maybe you’re not as useless as I thought,”

Penn didn’t seem to have a good response to that, so he gave a little bow then left. Oswald calmly sat down again in his seat and fluffed up his hair, checked his make up in the nearest reflective surface and settled into position, a leg crossed over the other with his chin resting in a hand.

Riddler appeared and Oswald didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He was utterly dishevelled as Penn had said.

“It’s necessary,” Riddler said before coming to a stop in front of Oswald’s desk as though reading his mind. “Trust me,”

“I see,”

“Yes. Now are you going to come here so I can kiss you, or not?”

“I think not,” Oswald said with a glint in his eyes. “You smell appalling from here. You were fine yesterday, how the hell did you get so dirty in the meantime?”

“There are... reasons. Things happened. In a way, this is a clue for Ed. There are others too, words, ciphers. We don’t know what the other’s doing. Unfortunately that means I have no idea of his plans or movements,”

“So he could come here and kill me, and you wouldn’t know about it?”

Something dangerous flashed in Riddler’s eye.

“No. If he tried to make an attempt on your life there’s no way I wouldn’t know and I’d stop him as much as I could, like the last time,”

“It’s odd, isn’t it? You getting so annoyed with yourself. It’s very unusual, and very deserved,”

Riddler huffed and Oswald snickered lightly. He stood up and moved slowly around the desk, running his hand along the surface and Riddler watched it. Once they were mere inches apart, Oswald wrinkled his nose.

“Gods, you really do stink,”

“Yes, thank you. We’ve established that,”

“Bath time,”

“No, I already said--”

“It’s okay. Just your body and you can have your clothes back when you leave,”

“So... you’re planning to have me naked the entire time?” Riddler raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,”

“I’m not sure I would feel comfortable being that exposed,”

“I will let you touch me,”

“Where’s the bathroom?”

Oswald laughed, genuinely, purely, and the feeling was foreign, but nice.

“Come,” He said gently, taking Riddler’s hand and feeling relief that it wasn’t sweaty. There only appeared to be dirt under his fingernails but Oswald could always wash his hands. They made their way upstairs again, Riddler patiently moving slowly up them without so much as a complaint. He occasionally squeezed Oswald’s hand in between running his thumb over it tenderly and Oswald had to concentrate to stop himself falling back down. The bathroom was nearby to the bedroom so Oswald wouldn’t have to walk too far when he needed to go at night. “Get in here.”

Oswald regrettably let go of Riddler’s hand to move behind him and push him into the bathroom. He closed and locked the door behind them, moved over to the large bathtub and began to run the water. He fiddled with the hot and cold until it was a pleasant temperature, then moved back, stood, and folded his arms.

Riddler raised his eyebrows.

“What?”

“Well? You cannot take a bath without removing your clothes first,”

“In front of you?”

“Yes. Surely you’d enjoy the opportunity to show off,”

“That’s true, you’re right. I _am_ quite impressive,”

Oswald rolled his eyes but it was affectionate. Riddler began to undress, putting each piece of material in a neat pile on the floor next to the bath. Oswald swallowed as he watched, his eyes focusing on different parts of Riddler’s body as it was exposed. There were a few bruises here and there which he frowned at, but knew that Riddler wouldn’t let him make a fuss about it. He had ridiculously long legs, but they were incredibly attractive, and Oswald felt his face heating up and his stomach lurch pleasantly. Once Riddler was completely naked, Oswald tried to stare, but ended up looking away. Riddler snickered and Oswald looked back defiantly, focusing on his face.

“You are adorable, my darling,”

“I am _not_ ,” Oswald said stubbornly, trying to ignore how much he enjoyed Riddler giving him a pet name so affectionate. “Now turn off the water and get in before I push you,”

“Aren’t you going to look at my pride and joy?” Riddler wiggled his eyebrows and Oswald made a disgusted expression.

“Certainly not. Now get. In,”

Riddler looked disappointed and Oswald’s expression became amused. Nevertheless, Riddler made a small sort of bow, turned off the taps then stepped into the bath, hissing a little at the heat and slowly lowering himself down into the water as he got used to the temperature. He drew his knees up to his chest and hugged them. It was a strange position for him; Oswald would have thought it would be a bit more open. Oswald reached for a small stool and brought it over, sitting on it next to Riddler and casting his gaze over to him.

“Your legs really are much too long,” He said, but with no true ill intent behind it, just a light tone of teasing.

“Do you like them?” Riddler said with a smirk.

“Yes,” Oswald admitted, and Riddler looked self satisfied.

A silence fell then, only the sound of them breathing and water filling the room, Oswald’s eyes on his hands and Riddler’s elsewhere. After some moments, Oswald looked to Riddler again and noticed something.

“You still have your glasses on. Do you ever take them off?”

“Rarely,” Riddler admitted before removing them and handing them over to Oswald, who took them and held them as carefully as though they were a precious artifact. He took in Riddler without his glasses which was strange and for some reason, felt more intimate than seeing him simply naked.

Quiet fell again, and Oswald looked at the glasses in his hands, turning them over and opening them, contemplating trying them on then snapping the sides shut again. He heard a small sound beside him and smiled; it seemed Riddler was curious as to how they would look too.

The smile faded as he prepared to force himself to speak. He wanted to keep pretending, wanted to ignore the agonizing fear in his guts, wanted to keep quiet just as he should have done when he revealed how he felt about Ed just so he could keep the peace of how things were now, but he knew he couldn’t. Not if he wanted to be spared of crushing pain at the end of it all.

“What do you want?” He said softly, and Riddler looked over to him, surprised and intrigued.

“What do I...?”

“Want. From me. If you want something, just tell me and I will give it to you,”

“What do you mean?” Riddler sounded confused and for some reason it frustrated Oswald and he squeezed the glasses in his hand tightly.

“You must want something, and that’s why you’re back, correct? You want ammo or my assistance or information. So which is it? You don’t have to get close to me to have it. You know I’d do anything for you,”

Riddler made another sound when Oswald repeated what he himself had said to him in front of the fire. He sounded sad as he spoke.

“Nothing, Oswald. I want nothing from you. I only want you,”

Oswald snorted.

“Impossible. You never wanted me,”

“I told you, I--”

“’We’re friends’, remember? You said it so... As though there was absolutely no chance of anything else. The way you said it just... It made me realise I’d made a mistake letting you know how I felt and that was confirmed when I’d lost you,”

“Ed is afraid, Oswald. Is... unsure. He didn’t believe you truly loved him. Even when you were prepared to sacrifice yourself for us under threat, he convinced himself it wasn’t proof of your feelings. It was only on that very pier he’d tried to kill you upon that he began to see that you do really love him. Love me,”

“Why? What was it that finally convinced him, then?”

“Your sacrifice of revenge. He couldn’t believe you’d given it up just to save his life. You thrive on it, you live on it, you are born for it, and yet you went against your very nature to save him. Save me. Thank you for that, by the way,”

“You know I couldn’t just let you die. I’d die first,”

“I know,” Riddler said in a voice so soft it was hard to see. “I would do the same,”

“You would not, but thank you for saying it,”

“Oswald. I love you,”

“Please don’t say that,”

“But I do. One cannot deny love,”

“Just tell me what you want,” Oswald said, trying his best to remain calm and not break Riddler’s glasses in his hands. He looked up then, pain evident on his face. “Please. If you have any decency you’ll tell me now and save me the heartbreak,”

Riddler looked back at Oswald and it was clear he too, felt some kind of pain. It was nice to see, so bad as that sounded, because it meant he felt something. He reached out with a wet hand and held Oswald’s face, and Oswald felt his insides turn to jelly, not caring that water was dripping into his lap.

“I don’t want anything from you. Neither does Ed. All I want is you. I love you, Oswald. More than anything else. As much as there are stars in the sky, and beyond that. You are the one, and you always were. From the day we met we were destined to always cross paths. I want to be with you for the rest of my days. And if you decide against that, if you can’t trust me, which I understand, then I’ll leave. And I’ll only ever come when you call, or when you need me. I’ll always be there for you. Whatever you need, just say the word,”

Oswald just stared, eyes wide. He felt like he’d stopped breathing, his heart pounding in his ears. To hear such words from the man he loved with his entire being was overwhelming. He wasn’t sure how to react. Riddler’s expression looked sincere. Knowing he was being a fool, but not being able to help himself, he brought his hand up and placed it upon Riddler’s.

“Okay,”

“Okay?”

“Okay. I have waited for you to say that for so long, I did not think you ever would. If this is a ploy, it is a very good one,”

“It’s not, I promise you,” Riddler looked slightly hopeful.

“Tell me you love me,”

“I love you,”

“Again,”

“I love you,”

“Tell me you want me,”

“I want you,”

“Thank you. Even if you don’t mean it, it’s nice to hear,”

Riddler looked like he wanted to argue his side more, but Oswald must have seemed weary because he simply pulled his hand back and let it settle in the water, his legs sliding so that they were outstretched. Oswald was surprised they didn’t hang out over the end of the tub.  
“Get in with me,” Riddler said again for the second day in a row.

“What?”

“Please? It’s lonely in this huge tub by myself,”

“You just want me to get naked don’t you?”

“Yes,” Riddler admitted. Oswald smiled, then stood up, complying as he got undressed. For some reason, he was much less embarrassed this time, and even slowed his movements for Riddler’s benefit, who seemed to be very appreciative. He turned to the side as he removed his underwear, and Riddler looked at him as though he was a man dying of thirst and Oswald was a cool glass of water. He looked as though he wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch, but contained himself. For some reason, Oswald was enjoying himself far too much.

He carefully climbed into the tub then, Riddler’s hands rising to steady him if needed but still not touching him. Oswald settled down slowly, feeling Riddler’s sharp body below him and cautiously resting back so that his head was against Riddler’s chest. Once he found the right position, he slotted to Riddler as though they were two parts of the same puzzle. He felt himself start to relax, breathing out as Riddler lowered his head to bury his nose in his hair. The quiet this time was not uncomfortable, the two of them enjoying each other’s company.

“May I?” Riddler said after some time, hand sliding down Oswald’s arm to indicate what he wanted.

“Please,”

Riddler took his time running hands over Oswald, trading feather light touches and soft scrapes with nails which made Oswald writhe and squirm, his teeth catching on his lower lip to try to keep quiet. This proved impossible however when Riddler ghosted his fingers across a nipple and Oswald was forced to let out a soft sigh which turned to a gasp with the pads of fingers were exchanged with light nails.

“Tease,” Oswald managed after a moment, hoping his voice was at least somewhat even.

“Naturally. A treasure like you must be handled expertly. You are piece of history I must treat as more important than my own life to keep it preserved,”

“Riddler, please,” Oswald said, embarrassed, although he very much liked being referred to with such pretty words.

“It’s the truth,” He murmured, and Oswald felt the rumble in the chest beneath him. “You are too beautiful,”

Oswald felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. And then he felt something else. Something hard pressed to the back of his thigh.

“H... hey,” He said with a quavering voice, and he could practically _hear_ Riddler smirk.

“What do you expect? You arouse me more than anyone ever has or ever will,”

Oswald chose that moment to turn in Riddler’s hands, his skin sliding smoothly under the fingers. In the movement, some water had splashed onto his hair and face. He brought his arms up and folded them before him and rested his chin on them, looking up at Riddler with a soft smile.

“What do you want to do to me then?”

“You want me to tell you?”

“Yes. Call it curiosity,”

Hands came to rest on Oswald’s flanks, not quite on his ass but not that far off it either.

“I want to make love to you. I want to feel your insides, I want to taste them, I want to make you feel more exquisite than you ever have,” He moved his hands upwards and very gently, kneaded the soft flesh of Oswald’s rear, letting out an animalistic sound as he did so. “I want to make you come so hard you forget where you are,”

“Oh,” Was all Oswald managed to say, and it was now that he felt his own cock start to harden, pressing to Riddler’s thigh. “I want you to do that,”

“Would you let me?” Riddler said with a grunt as both of them began to give into their base desires and start rocking their hips against each other. “Would you truly let me inside you like that?”

“God, yes,” Oswald gasped as a particular movement sent a chill of pleasure up his spine. “We’d get dirty again,”

“I did originally say I shouldn’t wash anyway,”

“That’s true. But you’ll smell like me. He knows what I smell like...”

“I’ll take care of it, don’t worry. If I had to die after making love to you anyway, at least I would die happy,”

“That’s... Romantic,” Oswald said, his original teasing word changing to what he truly believed. “So? What are we waiting for?”

“After you, my love,”

Oswald nodded and moved so that he was on his hands and knees over Riddler and Riddler looked as though he was forcing himself not to take a hold of Oswald and fuck him right there, disregarding the amount of water which would be lost from the tub. Oswald smirked before raising to his feet, and Riddler looked up at him as though he was a deity, swallowing hard and licking his lips. It was the first time Oswald actually felt somewhat attractive.

He carefully stepped out, easing on his bad leg until he was standing beside the tub. He held a hand out and Riddler grinned, taking it and practically leaping out of the bath. He looked down at them both for a moment before meeting Oswald’s gaze again.

“How will we get to the bedroom, darling?”

“It’s just a short way, dear,” Oswald replied, echoing the use of a pet name and thoroughly enjoying doing so. “We can make it,”

Riddler looked surprised, but then his expression fell into one of mischief, and they moved towards the door, Oswald still holding his hand.

Oswald looked behind him with his hand on the doorknob at Riddler before nodding and opening the door. They half hobbled, half trotted to the bedroom and once they entered Oswald immediately shut the door behind them. He was laughing, but as soon as he turned he felt himself pressed to the door and his wrists were caught above his head and his laughter was caught in his throat as he was kissed fiercely. A knee pressed between his thighs and he moaned into Riddler’s mouth, returning the kiss with just as much passion once the surprise had worn off.

Once they pulled apart they were panting as though they’d been deprived of air for way too long, and Riddler’s pupils were blown so wide with lust the brown almost disappeared.

“I’ve wanted to do this since the beginning,” He managed, voice uneven with lust. “So many times have I thought about just ravishing you and making you scream. Ed will pay for how long he held me back,”

Oswald managed a small grin.

“You don’t have to wait any longer, sweetheart,” He said gently, and Riddler almost groaned aloud. “ _Fuck me_.”

That seemed to set Riddler off, Oswald taken aback by his own boldness, but he was desperate for Riddler to do the things he’d been talking about, and it seemed so was the latter. He picked Oswald up, earning a squeak from him as he clung to Riddler’s shoulders and was half thrown, half dropped to the middle of the bed with a soft ‘uhf!’

He didn’t have time to comment as Riddler was already moving forward over him, cock hot and hard between his thighs and the sight made Oswald’s mouth water. He leaned down and kissed Oswald again, messily leaving the side of his lips with his tongue to suck at Oswald’s jaw, pulling a gasp from Oswald’s throat.

“God, I want to take my time with you, but I don’t know if I can,” Riddler growled, voice gravelly and urgent next to Oswald’s ear. “I want to eat you out, suck you off, play with you... but my patience is at its limit. I want... I _need_ to be inside you,”

Oswald nodded furiously and dug his fingertips into Riddler’s shoulders to indicate he felt the same.

“Do it, please,” Oswald practically begged. “I want to be connected to you,”

Riddler made a sound of approval before forcing himself to move back.

“Lubricant?”

“In the bedside table drawer,” Oswald breathed, desperation overtaking bashfulness.

Riddler moved forward, reaching for the drawer and Oswald thanked whatever God existed that Riddler was long so he could reach the table easier. Once he pulled it out, he looked at it with raised eyebrows. It was a quarter full.

“Why Oswald. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you already had a gentleman caller,”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Oswald said huffily before turning his head to the side. “It is... for me. I.. have experimented. At first to make sure if I was truly... If i really liked what I like,”

“And?” Riddler said as though breathing was difficult.

“I do. Like it. I did not... get any, ah, toys, because I lost my courage, but I used my fingers,”

“How many?”

“Four is my best. But I have to be very aroused,”

“Shit,” Riddler cursed, breathing in deep and biting his lip. “That’s good. It should hurt less if you’ve already tried. But I will still go slow, okay? If it’s too much any time, tell me to stop,”

Oswald felt touched of how considerate Riddler was being of him.

“Of course,”

Riddler nodded before positioning himself between Oswald’s legs, kneeling and sitting back on his haunches as he squeezed some lube over his fingers. Oswald almost forgot how to breathe as Riddler held one of his legs up and positioned his hips for access, bending him slightly. He traced a finger from Oswald’s thigh down to his hole and pressed against it. Oswald gasped and Riddler looked to his face, seemingly making sure he was alright.

He must have looked so, because after a moment the finger was sliding inside him and he threw his head back. Like the last time they had been intimate, it somehow felt so much better when Riddler did it to him.

“Alright, love?” Riddler said sweetly as he moved his finger in and out slowly.

“Yes, very,” Oswald panted, and then; “ _More_.”

Riddler’s breath hitched as though that hit him with surprise before obeying and adding a second finger. Oswald was breathing hard, feeling strange but by no means hurt. As soon as Riddler crooked his fingers Oswald tensed, a whine tearing from his throat.

A few movements of his fingers later and Riddler began to wiggle them up and down in a rapid motion, and Oswald cried out.

“Oh! G-God-- yes! Like that!” He wasn’t even sure where the words were coming from, it seemed they flowed automatically. “Just like that! More! Another! Please!”

Riddler obliged, adding a third finger and repeating his movements.

“You’re taking this a lot faster than I would expect,”

“Shut, God just, _shut up and keep going_ , you can -- _uhn!_ \-- can talk about how much of a slut I seem afterwards!”

“I would’ve said no such thing, but you saying that is fucking _hot_ ,” He lengthened the ‘h’ in the last word and Oswald was annoyed at himself for finding it attractive.

After some time, Oswald lost track of just how much, Riddler let his fingers fall from Oswald and the latter let out a sound of protest.

“Why did you stop?”

“I think you’re ready. Do you?” Riddler said darkly, pouring the last of the bottle onto his hand and throwing it to the side before slicking his cock, and Oswald looked down to watch him, tongue darting out to wet his lips.

“Yes. I want you,”

Once Riddler had finished, he took a hold of Oswald’s legs at the knees and bent them forward, pushing Oswald’s hips further forward. He reached with one hand down to position himself, then pressed inwards, and Oswald’s hands fell to his sides and gripped at the sheets.

“Fuck. You feel-- God. Feel... even better than I’d dared hoped,” Riddler gasped, and Oswald nodded. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes, I am fine, I am more than okay. You’re... in me,” Oswald said, marveling at the very fact. “You’re inside me. I... I’ve thought about this so many times but you’re finally here, actually... connected to me. We are one,”

“ _Oswald_ ,” Riddler responded and he leaned closer to Oswald, causing him to move so that he was fully inside, and he kissed away the moan which rose from Oswald’s throat. “God, I love you,”

“I love you, too,” Oswald said, smiling as he felt Riddler press his forehead to his own. He brought his hands up to Riddler’s shoulders and held them, legs coming to wrap around his waist as though he was trying to make sure there was barely an inch of him not touching Riddler. Oswald’s knees were hooked at the elbows of Riddler’s arms now as the latter pressed his hands to the bed to hold himself up and give himself better leverage.

Oswald knew he’d never been happier than this moment. Nothing could compare to being so close to the man he’d fallen in love with. If he was honest with himself, he'd never thought he’d be happy again. His eyes pricked, but he held back any tears which threatened to fall. Riddler began to move, and Oswald groaned, feeling heat in his belly even though his cock hadn’t even been touched yet. After a few movements, Oswald began to move too, his hips syncing up with Riddler’s as though it was the easiest thing in the world. He didn’t even have to think. It felt good not to think, to be completely and utterly lost in pleasure and love.

Riddler moved his arms from Oswald’s legs and Oswald kept them up, hooking his ankles together and pressing to Riddler’s sides. It became apparent what Riddler moved for when he reached up, took Oswald’s hands from his shoulders and brought them back down, interlocking their fingers and holding their hands against the mattress. Something burst in Oswald's chest and he couldn’t hold it back any more. Tears streamed from his eyes and small sobs left his throat, and Riddler stopped immediately, frozen as he thought he’d done something wrong.

“What is it?!” He asked suddenly, moving back to look at Oswald’s face. “Do you want me to stop? Did--”

Oswald shook his head and smiled. It wasn’t forced, he truly was happy.

“No, do not stop. Please don’t ever stop,” He managed, breath hitching between words from his tears. “I am just happy,”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I am... somewhat overwhelmed I think. You love me. You really love me,”

“Of course I do. That’s what I’ve been saying,”

“I know, I know. It’s just that now...”

“Now you believe it,”

“Yes. Yes exactly. I can feel it,”

“I’m glad,” Riddler said, and he looked it. He leaned in and kissed away the tears before the corners of Oswald’s eyes, and then moved to his lips, slipping his tongue into Oswald’s mouth so that the salty taste mixed between them. He moved again, this time with more vigor yet still the same gentleness Oswald had been feeling ever since the tub. “I’m not sure--” He grunted. “I’m not sure how much longer I can hold it, I’m... _close_ ,”

“Then do not hold it. Please, Riddler. Fuck me, come inside me. God, I _need you to come in me_ ,” The words as permission broke the dam that had been holding Riddler back and soon he was snapping his hips, pounding into Oswald with abandon, and Oswald yelped, his grip on Riddler’s hands tightening so much his knuckles went white. “Ye-es!” He cried, voice thudding with the force of Riddler’s thrusts. “So-oh go- _od!_ ”

Riddler was half grunting, half moaning as his hips started to judder and his movements became erratic, and then he bit down on the flesh of Oswald’s neck and Oswald whined, tilting his neck a little for better access. He knew in the back of his mind it was probably not a good idea to let Riddler mark him like this, but right now he didn’t care. He loved the thought of a sign on him that he belonged to someone. Riddler sucked at the sensitive skin before tonguing it, moving back and leaving what was sure to be a deep purple marking. Oswald didn’t have much time to think too much about it because Riddler was fucking into him at such a pace he wouldn’t think possible, and stars erupted in front of his eyes.

Soon after a sound he didn’t think a human could even produce tore from Riddler’s throat and he shuddered, spasming as he filled Oswald with warmth. Oswald moaned at the feeling of being come inside of, only made better by the fact that it was Riddler. He expected Riddler to collapse on top of him, but he did not, still keeping up somewhat of a pace and letting go with one of his hands to wrap around Oswald’s cock.

It only took three strokes for Oswald to come, screaming, his voice breaking at the intensity as he painted his own stomach and chest with white ropes. The stars became meteors and for a moment, he lost sense of where he was, just as Riddler had said he’d wanted to do.

He panted to catch his breath as he fell back to the mattress, feeling as though he might sink into it and needing a few moments to gather himself again. He vaguely registered Riddler’s head pressed to his chest, and a numb hand limply rose to rest in his hair, playing with the hair between his fingers. After some moments, Oswald chuckled quietly.

“What is it?”

“Nothing,” Riddler said, his own voice showing signs of weariness. “Just listening,”

It occurred to Oswald then that Riddler had meant his heartbeat. It was beating fast, fluttering, and Riddler must be enjoying the fact that he was the cause.

“How long do we have?” Oswald said softly, trying to keep the sadness out of his voice.

“A while. I’m tired but... I can stay awake longer,” He shifted and his softened cock slid out from inside Oswald, who made a sound of protest.

“I wish we could be that close longer,”

“Me too,” Riddler admitted before, with effort, pushing himself up to look at Oswald. “Another time. Another time I’ll take longer with you,” He finished, leaning down and rubbing their noses together.

Oswald let out a small breath with the edge of a laugh to it.

“Can I... One time, could I...” He bit his lip, and Riddler cocked his head. “Could I... do that to you? I want... to make you feel like I did and... to see you. Like this,”

Riddler blinked, and for a moment Oswald swore he could see him blushing.

“If... if you want to, of course you can. I’ve never... But I mean--”

“Yes. That’s why. You’re my first. I want to be your first in something too. If you’ll let me,”

“Definitely. I think you’re the only one I would let do so. But then again, you’re the only one I love. I don’t want anyone else,”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Oswald said, then his face twisted a little as the come inside him slowly ran out, cooling quickly in the air. “I should...”

“Ah, yes,” Riddler said, moving back to kneel and looking down, parting Oswald’s legs and moving his hips, his head to the side with an expression of satisfaction on his face.

“Ah-- hey! What are you doing?”

“Just observing,” He reached down and gathered up some of liquid, pushing it back inside of Oswald and drawing a gasp from the latter as his sensitive hole was touched. “Beautiful. God. This is truly a sight,”

“Have you had your fill yet?” Oswald asked impatiently, huffing in embarrassment.

“Yes. For now. Some day we’ll have to figure a way to keep it inside you. For a whole day, maybe? Where you have to go to a meeting and feel me in you while you try to pretend you don’t?”

“R... Riddler! That is... that is _so_ \--” He pressed his lips together. “Perhaps one day. If I am feeling generous,”

“Excellent,” Riddler replied as though it was a simple conversation, and he moved off of Oswald, padded to the door, opened it and quickly went into the bathroom before coming out again. He rushed back in holding a cloth and looking pleased with himself, at which Oswald rolled his eyes. He wanted to get up, but he was still finding movement a little difficult. Riddler set to work tenderly cleaning Oswald up, then threw the cloth to the side, which Oswald would have reprimanded him for if only he wasn’t so tired. He gathered up his strength and slowly made his way under the bed covers, Riddler joining him, and they settled together like they had before, legs intertwined, arms around one another, and breathing calmed.

Oswald fought his closing eyes.

“I want you to stay with me, but I know you have to go. Is there any way you can make Ed see that... That all I want is him happy, all I want is the both of you happy, merged, healthy, and that he shouldn’t be afraid of who he is. In any way. Can you do that?”

“I... am trying, beloved. It’s... difficult. He’s stubborn,”

“I know,”

“You miss him,”

“How can I? You’re right here,”

“Yes, but I’m only a part of him. You miss the other side, the part who you saved when you came to the Arkham gates and kept beside you,”

“...No more of this. I want to be happy, Riddler. Forget I asked,”

“I love you,”

“I know you do. I can tell,”

“He’ll come around. He’ll see that he needs you just as much as you need him. And that... fighting love is a losing battle,”

“Yes. I... will believe in you, as you believed in me. We will be together,”

“We will,”

Oswald suddenly yawned deeply, feeling fatigue overtaking him no matter how much he fought it.

“Will you stay with me, until I fall asleep?”

“And after, my darling. As long as I can,” Riddler replied, leaning in to press his lips to Oswald’s forehead.

“Til next time, my sun and stars,”

Oswald felt Riddler smile against his skin.

* * *

 

For the next few weeks visits continued, and every single one of them ended up with Riddler and Oswald making love, Riddler doing what he had said he wished to, taking his time with Oswald, showing him new experiences. The feeling of being eaten out, of being gone down on, of having every inch kissed and licked and worshipped. And Oswald, too, had grown in confidence, taking the giving role for the first time and marvelling as he watched Riddler’s expressions. It was then he knew why Riddler loved making him feel good so much, loved fucking him like they were made to do it. To see how good he was making Riddler feel was a reward in of itself. He even let Oswald come inside of him which was definitely something Oswald had thought Riddler would never let anyone do, least of all him.

One night, after the two had made love for quite possibly hours, Riddler’s demeanor turned somber.

“Ed is getting close,”

“Hm?”

“Ed. He’s getting close to figuring out you’re involved somehow. Sooner or later he’ll find you and I don’t know what he’ll say or do. It’s very possible he’ll threaten you or say cruel things to you to throw you off your guard,”

“I see. It’ll be okay, my love, I’ve taken his insults before. I can take them again,”

“No... that’s not the issue. I don’t want him saying things I don’t mean. That _we_ don’t mean. My darling, light of my life, my precious little bird. I don’t ever want to hurt you,”

“I know you don’t. And I’ll remember that. All these times together, they mean so much to me... to us. And I think Ed will feel it too, even if he doesn’t remember, something will be there. We’re too close for him not to feel anything. The heart may weaken one, but this is a time where it would be strong,”

“Good,” Riddler said with a smile, pulling back to look into Oswald’s eyes seriously. “Whatever he says, whatever he does, know that he doesn’t truly mean it,”

“I do,”

“Do you promise?”

“I promise.”

* * *

 

It was a colder night than usual in Gotham when Riddler didn’t turn up at his usual time. Oswald, who would usually panic at this, remained calm and knew that Riddler must’ve been held up.

He heard the sounds of shouting and running outside, and his insides lurched. An attack? An assault? His heartbeat picked up a little. He was excited at the prospect of killing again. However there were no gunshots, and before he knew it things fell silent. Too silent. There were no cries of death preceding it, so the only conclusion was that the guards left or were lured away. Realisation dawned.

The doors behind him burst open, and there was a sound of a gun being cocked.

Slowly, Oswald stood, back still to the doors, his face forced into a neutral expression.

“Hello, Edward.”


End file.
